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Annals of Fear II	By : DeathNoteFangirl Category: Death Note > Yaoi-Male/Male > Mello/Matt Views: 5803 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note and I do not make any money from these writings

Chapter List
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They were all crammed into Century's study now, where the maps and books were more useful than the dormant electronics next door.    It also meant that no-one had to persuade Century to join them.   He was already there.   Valerie and Daf had been sent into the computer hub, to collect up cups and make more hot drinks.    Deontic had filled several flip-chart sheets of paper with questions, points and dyadic deontic formulas.   She appeared keen to get started.

"I got us ten minutes, Dee."   Mello smiled, as he took up station against the back wall, with Matt at his side.   Her brow creased in query. Mello nodded towards Fenian.   He was sitting in one of the armchairs, pushing a cushion behind the small of his back   "Then Fenian is going to the hospital."

Deontic nodded once. Fenian wrinkled up his nose, "I didn't say I wasn't coming back. You said that."

Mello shrugged, "I'll probably be up there, making my move, by the time you are back."

Kiana coughed, "I need to do something at midnight.   Has anyone access to the time?   My watch has stopped and my 'phone is dead."

Matt took out his 'phone and held it out for Mello to read.   Mello answered, "It's only half nine!   I thought it would be the early hours by now!"

Kiana opened up her handbag and took out a notepad.   It had an ornate cover, depicting a stylised goddess, surrounded by Celtic swirls.    She opened it and looked inside.   "I need to know true midnight.   I don't mean 12 o'clock.   Midnight is never 12 o'clock."   She consulted her handwritten notes.    "Liam, I need your brain. Sunset was 4.50pm; sunrise is 7.10am.   When is midnight?"

"Midnight." Fenian replied, immediately.   There was the faintest whisper across the room, as Mello had said the same thing under his breath.

Kiana shook her head.   "It's not a trick question.   I need the actual time."

Fenian nodded, "You mean the exact halfway point, between the sun going down and coming back up again."    He watched her nod.   "It's midnight."   Above them, Deontic nodded agreement, when Kiana looked up.   Century smiled back, gesturing towards Fenian.   They could all see that she wasn't convinced.   She was assuming that they hadn't understood the question.   "Ki, the time between 16.50 and 7.10 is 14 hours and 20 minutes.   Half of that is 7 hours and ten minutes.    Add or subtract it from your times and you arrive at 12 o'clock midnight."

Kiana stared at him. "You are kidding me!"   She double-checked her times.   "But that never happens!   It's always a few minutes out."   Wonder stole across her features.   "So the day when it's dead on is Samhain!   Wow! That must be why..."   She let the rest of her sentence drop, realising that she wasn't in Pagan company.   "Do you realise how unlikely that is?   That's mind-blowing. I didn't even realise.   Samhain. Wow!"

Deontic surveyed her, coldly, "Does this Samhain have anything to do with water, Kiana?"

"No." Kiana shook her head.   "It's a fire festival."

"Ok." Deontic shifted her attention to Fenian.   "Have we really only got ten minutes?   Because I would much prefer to do this systematically." He shook his head. "Thank you. That is very much appreciated."   She stood poised with her pen.   "I would like to break this down.    The items that I would like to cover are: What happened? Why did it happen?   How can we stop it ever happening again?   They are all big topics.    Are we all aware of the consequences of not nailing this?   This isn't just a case anymore, it's personal."   No-one interrupted her.   Encouraged, she pressed on.   "Let's start with what happened.   First of all, the music that started this case.   We've seen first-hand the effect of that now.    What are everyone's thoughts on why that is happening?"   She waited.   There were no responses.   "And linked in with that is why the witch bottle should stop it."   Deontic looked straight at Kiana.   "Perhaps you have a theory?"

Kiana glanced at Fenian, who nodded. She inhaled deeply through her nose and spoke up, "The yew tree protects against evil. It's the guardian tree of the Otherworld; and the portal between the ancestors and ourselves.   That's why you find them in churchyards a lot."   She paused, as Century raised his eyebrows.   Deontic gestured to the teenager to wait his turn.   Kiana went on.   "It's the last of the tree symbols in the Ogham.   It's a tree of transformation and rebirth, but also of death.   It helps in our healing to remember that death isn't forever, as that element of rebirth is there too.   You often find them planted near to standing stones or over hidden streams."

"Oh?" Century turned again.   "Stream, is it?"

Deontic let him interject this time. "What have you got on streams?"

"Still working on it."   He told her.   "Fenian walked through something wet under there.    Flooding, he said, but I'm wondering if there's an underground stream running down from up here." Century tapped a position on the map, much further up the mountain than the manor house.   "I think one of his tunnels went to Nanteos.   I think that old Prothero took the skeletons of the Grail monks from there and took them back to the manor.   Nant means stream.   Eos is nightingale.   No fucking nightingales in Wales now, but there could have been once. Lots of references in place-names, see?"   No-one did. Century sighed. "Name predates the mansion, does it?   I can't see any stream up by here."   He peered again at the map.   "Daf doesn't know of one either. If there was one, makes sense, it does, that it's running downhill towards the river."   He glanced around seeing several blank faces.   "Don't know if it's relevant yet."

Deontic sorted through some sheets and added, 'Underground stream?' to the bottom of the fourth one along.    "It could be. Kiana, please go on."

Kiana was looking at Century, "You pulled a face when I said that yew trees were placed in churchyards, because they were guardians of the Otherworld."

"I did." Century took his lollipop out of his mouth, still inspecting his map. "Yew branches are poisonous.   They used them to make arrow shafts, so needed them around. But you don't want your old pig nibbling on it, do you now? So you put the tree in the churchyard.   Only place in the village with a fence around it, before the Enclosure Act."

"I see." Kiana smiled. "And how do you account for the fact that the yew trees are often older than the church?"   She noted his faint frown.   "Yew trees are very hardy and very long lived.   There have been some dated to fucking 4000 years old.   They thrived during the Ice Age.   These are trees that can be relied upon to still be around, when you and your kin are long gone.   That's why they were used to mark sacred places.    It takes time to haul a standing stone there, but a yew sapling can be planted today.    When Christianity came, Rome actually had it in the instructions to the missionaries.   Build the churches on the existing sacred spots.   People are used to going to them.   They're used to seeing them as sacred."

Fenian tapped her arm, "You're getting as bad as him.   This isn't about the history of the Christian conquest of the Celtic nations, it's about what's happening at the fucking manor house."

Kiana flushed, "Sorry. I was just trying to point out that the ground where the manor house is now, was possibly once a sacred place.   It has both a standing stone and a yew tree.   We think it might have a stream too."

Mello's chocolate cracked, "Just so I'm clear here, is this in addition to the stream in the chasm right next to the manor?"   They watched Century freeze slightly, then move his finger across his map slightly.

Century replied, quietly, "I can't see where that comes from.    It might have its headspring there."   His finger rose up the map again.   "It's in a straight line, directly below Nanteos.   Some distance though."

Mello smirked.   "Ok."

Deontic's mouth flickered into a vague smile, that was quickly gone. "So the clues are there for the area being sacred to the indigenous Celts? What time period?"

Kiana nodded, "Possible spring, definite stream; standing stone; yew tree. I'd say that it was definitely sacred to them."

Century sighed, "If it was, then we're looking at the Bronze Age.   I can't see any place-names around it that are particularly religious."

Mello beamed, "How about Llanfarian?"   His triumphant gaze fixed upon Century.   "Llan is 'church', isn't it?    Then a mutation on the 'm'.   Marian Church.   Church of Mary."

"Right." Century smirked. "Because Marian is such a Welsh word, isn't it?"   He enjoyed the narrowing of Mello's eyes. "For a start, llan only means church now.   No word for it in English, I can think of anyway.   Try 'enclosure' or 'allocated space', dunno. But farian is a place where loads of boulders or smashed rocks lie.   Not talking monoliths here.   Glacial rocks, left littering the ground after the Ice Age.    Probably some early Christian hermit went up by there and lived in the shithole with the rocks. Or someone came evangelising and they said, 'Yeah, man, you can stay. You can have this place here. Good luck with your crops.'" He met Mello's eyes, enjoying the moment of one-up-manship. Mello looked unmoved, though he was no longer smiling.   "Came to mean 'church' though, because it was only the Christians who wanted enclosures like that.   To bury their dead in land that they'd dedicated to their God."   He smiled. "But good try."

Mello bit into his chocolate, "Thank you for increasing my knowledge of the language that I'm currently learning."

Deontic had been watching Mello carefully.   She spoke up, decisively, "So no lingering religious overtones, in this Bronze Age sacred space?"

Century shook his head, "I didn't say that."

"Yes, you did!"   Deontic flared at him.

"Not as a public space, no."   Century retorted.   "But you've got the Cisterian route down by here."   He held up his map and traced the line of the river.   "Pilgrims going back and forth.   Plus you've got the fact that Rhys ap Rothero built a house right next to a standing stone. Bit of a statement there, is it?    Plus he built a freaking priest hole.   This is the Catholic militia at work now."

Deontic raised her hand.   "Ok, Century. I hear you, but I think we're ahead of ourselves.   Kiana, you explained the mythology of the yew tree.   What about the witch bottle?"

"There's more to the landscape."   Kiana gripped Fenian's hand, looking fixedly at Deontic.   "There are fairy roads crossing there.   Remember what I said about the sacred nature of places that are neither one place nor the other?   This spot is neither one road nor the other and that's smack bang where they placed the fucking yew tree."

"Meaning?"

"Yew trees are portals to the Otherworld.   It is where they come out."   She saw Century's expression.   She didn't need to turn around to see Matt's smile.   "I know that no-one is with me on this one. Fine. No fucking problem there.   But the trails led to the standing stone and down to the river.   The stables and outhouses are built over the fucking tracks.   That's storing up trouble."   She smiled at Fenian, as he squeezed her hand in silent support.   "I think that someone deliberately sabotaged the area, knowing full well what they were doing.   They built over the standing stone and blocked up the fairy paths."

Century replied, "That would be Deverill Prothero. Both buildings date from his time."

Deontic nodded, "And the witch bottle?"

"That's protecting against magical attack."   Kiana said, quietly.   "But the bottle is modern."

"It wasn't the first bottle."   Deontic concluded.   "Thank you for your insight, Kiana.    From a Pagan point of view, what needs to happen here?"

Kiana gave her a smile of gratitude for not dismissing her beliefs outright. "The stables and outhouses need to come down.   I don't think it's any ghost that comes after you, when the bottle is out.   It's the Tylwyth Teg.   They won't attack through the witch bottle."

Deontic glanced at Century.   The teenager sucked on his lollipop. "The fairies."

Deontic nodded. "I don't know why you're being so blase about this, Century.   You certainly believed wholeheartedly in the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn, last time we were here.    How different is she from these fairies?"

Kiana frowned, "She is one of them.   In Ireland, the fey are called the sidhe.   Our version of Gwrach-y-Rhibyn is called Bean Sidhe, or banshee, meaning 'woman of the fey'."   She nervously watched Deontic's expression. The Malaysian woman seemed a little startled.   "Are you not seeing where I'm coming from on this now?"

"Yes."   Deontic glanced around the room.   "Two questions to you all. Can anyone see an argument against these fairies?"   She looked apologetically at Century.   "I'm not going to attempt to pronounce the Welsh."   She turned away again. "An argument, that is, other than you don't believe in them.    I'm including in here alternative theories.   Can anyone, except Century, see any good reason why we shouldn't arrange for the stables and outhouses to be pulled down?"

Mello and Matt exchanged looks.   Mello's expression was the more surprised.   He asked quietly, "Are you with the fairy theory, guapo?"

Matt stopped chewing his glove.   "The music has infrasound in it.    It was recorded because there is infrasound in the house.   That's what's being transmitted across the world and causing the uneasiness and paranoia.    At the same time, the title of the song is making a suggestion to form around the effects of infrasound.   It's all about the banshee; so there's your otherworldly being coming for you.   The whole song is about death and the supernatural or religion, whatever you want to call it."

Everyone fell very silent.   Matt smiled.   Mello pursed his lips.    Matt took out his 'phone and searched through the basic games on there again.   These weren't challenging him, but they were better than nothing.   Mello tongued the chocolate in his mouth, "Have you finished?   Only you haven't explained how those feelings and suggestions continue once the music stops.   Neither of us listened to it all the way through, but we got the full effect of it."

"We knew about the other victims. We nerfed ourselves, knowing what was expected of us."

"Then why does it start with the bottle coming out and finish with it going back in?"

Matt frowned, "Does it?"   He glanced at Mello.   "We haven't tested that on anyone but ourselves.   First time, we freaked over the music itself. We might not have heard the whole tune, but we had enough infrasound to become impressionable.   Then we knew that Kiana was putting it back.   It probably wore off on its own, when we stopped being noobs."   He shrugged. "Second time, you saw Fenian take it out.   I heard it over the communicator.   We did it to ourselves again.    We didn't know when he put it back, but perhaps we again grew wise to ourselves."

Mello ate chocolate.   He considered it.   "Are you taking infrasound into account the second time too? Because I was on site and you were listening in?"   He waited until Matt nodded.   "How does that explain no-one else freaking? They were there too. Not to mention the fact that they didn't lose it, in that manner, when I played it from your 'phone."

Matt gave him an incredulous look. "Have you looked around this room recently? Everyone is freaking.   They did freak when you played it on my 'phone."

"Not like that." Mello replied, softly.   He straightened, shaking his hair from his face. "But the jury is out.   It's a theory."

Deontic had scribbled, 'infrasound = music', onto the flip-chart.   "Thank you, Matt.   Is there a solution for that?"   She watched Matt blow out his cheeks, then shake his head.    Deontic's expression was non-committal. "It can be easily tested, but I'm guessing that none of you want to test it."    She glanced across the room for volunteers.

Matt looked up. "I'll test it.   I'll take it out, when no-one else knows, then note the time and see what happens."

"No." Mello growled.   "You will not.   Just leave it as a strong hypothesis."

"You're so with the fairy theory, Mello." Matt accused.

Mello narrowed his eyes. "I'm with any theory that doesn't involve you going up there unnecessarily."   He gave an expressive gesture. "If it comes to it, then I'll run with it. But let's explore every other fact first; so we're armed with all available knowledge and theories, before we have to deal with the fucking thing."   Matt bowed his head over his 'phone.   "Your theory has credence, alright, baby?"   Matt nodded.   Mello looked uncomfortable.   "Ok."   He bit deeply into his chocolate.   "I have nothing for this one, Deontic."

Deontic nodded.   She looked at Century.   "Shall we take it as read that you have an objection to removing 18th century buildings?"

He moved his lollipop into the other cheek.   "Yes."   His shoulders were slumped.    "Don't do anything, until I've prepared a defence."

"We'll come back to it."   Deontic faced her flip-chart again and wrote a question mark by 'fairies'.    "I need someone to research the folklore here.   Do I have a volunteer?"   She pointed her pen towards Century's bookcase.   "There is literature there about Welsh legends."

Fenian coughed. "I'll do it."   He started to move, but Kiana touched his arm. She stood and inspected the books, conveying likely ones back to her boyfriend.   "Thanks."

Deontic watched this with a tight smile.   "This is working much better now. Thank you everybody."   She turned back to her flip chart.   "Next up is the phenomena there. Things moving and ghost sightings.    Kiana's already given me her reasoning about the reality of this.   For those who weren't there, she stated that there are several types of paranormal activities, which are categorised together under the heading 'ghosts'.   Some are sentient souls of the dead, trying to communicate; and some are residual energies recorded into the environment and just replaying back to us.   Those are the two major ones present in that house, in her view, which also encompasses the positioning of the manor house as a kind of ghostly drop in centre.    Not all of the ghosts belong to the premises.   This ties in with her belief that the house is on a sacred space." She glanced at Kiana. "Are you happy with that summary of your theory?"

"Yes."

Deontic nodded, "Anyone got an alternate theory?"

Matt looked up and smiled, but said nothing.   Mello bit his lip.    It was the Slav who articulated it, "The house is awash with infrasound and electro-magnetic force.   Both induce visual, auditory and physical hallucinations.    Both can cause us to feel watched.    In short, both mess with our minds."    He finished one chocolate bar and immediately reached for another.   "Two problems that I see with that.   The first is how the statue of the Madonna kept moving.   It's hard to see how infrasound or EMF could make that happen.   The second is that one of the victims, Jan Pettersson, had injuries which looked consistent with the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn's talons.   Though a counter-argument is that foxes did that."    Mello touched his own face, where the marks, apparently made by the creature, were still healing.   He also knew that Matt's forearm had taken a deep wound.   It hadn't yet sank into scarring. It was still a crimson, raised welt.   Mello bit his lip, unsure about mentioning it and confused by Matt's selective memory.    There were others here who knew and they weren't about to let it lie.

"That's Matt's theory?" Deontic asked, mildly, seeing Mello's discomfort.    The Slav didn't reply.    "Would these explain joint hallucinations? All seeing the same thing at the same time?"

Mello started devouring the second chocolate bar. "It might, if we'd all had the images suggested.    The band saw a hideous woman, according to Rasmus Lindgren.    They were recording a song called 'Banshee', so that's a natural image to see.   We knew that before we turned up.   We told Century about it, while we were driving him there.   We told you about it, while we were there.    The suggestion was there across the board."

Deontic nodded.   "I presumably carried that suggestibility to the garage around the corner from my house.   As that is where I took my car to have the deep scratches removed.   They were exactly where I hallucinated the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn standing." She watched Matt bow his head.   "He could see the scratches, though I gave him no explanation as to how they got there.   Your car was also damaged in the attack. I watched it happen and saw the result.   How are you explaining that, Matt?"

Matt shrugged.   "My theory has flaws."

Nobody said anything for a long few seconds.    Deontic allowed herself a tiny smile, but only when she had her back to Matt again.   "Psychology has been mentioned and so I wish to run with this for a while.    I have no doubt that a huge chunk of that has its roots in the infrasound, as well as the high EMF levels.    But it's not helped by everything else."   She put her pen down on the tiny, metal shelf beneath the flip-chart.   "It is messing with us.   It is seriously messing with us.   I want you all to remember that and to cut each other some slack.    I know that we're good at pressure.   You didn't survive Wammy's House, without being good at pressure.    But this is something different."    She surveyed them each in turn.   Only Mello, Lauren and Hal appeared to be looking back, but she wasn't fooled.   The others would be covertly watching too.    "I want you all to think very strongly on this.    If there is a fear lodged right in the forefront of your mind, get it aired.   Deal with it.   Don't carry it anymore this night, because it could kill you. Simple as that." No-one moved, no-one said a word.   "I'm not angling for a true confession moment.   I'm asking you to privately get it sorted out."

Hal slipped off her perch, on the window-sill, "I'm going to check on the teas and coffees.   It's been long enough.   They probably think that they can't bring them in."

Fenian smiled, "Or they're shagging."

Hal shook her head. "I very much doubt that."

Mello smirked. "It said on her CV that she's a lesbian.   You're getting surrounded by us, Fenian."

"Like I fucking care!"   Fenian snapped.

Hal cast them both withering looks and went outside.    Deontic, however, nodded quickly and smiled.   Mello winked back at her, then he leaned close to Matt and kissed his ear.   Mello whispered. "Love you. Never leaving you. Get used to it."

Matt glanced at him.   He paused the game and turned to embrace his husband.    Mello smiled and pecked a kiss onto his lips.   Matt spoke so softly that his words were practically mouthed.   "Volim te."

"I know."   Mello cuddled close to him. "You don't know what you do to me, baby. You really don't."

Author's Note: This chapter is being discussed here: http://mrsjeevas.joharrington.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
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Annals of Fear II